diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/desktop/SshPasswordPromptDialog.test.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/desktop/SshPasswordPromptDialog.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ef70ba34c367
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/desktop/SshPasswordPromptDialog.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+import type { DesktopSshPasswordPromptRequest } from "@t3tools/contracts";
+import { act } from "react";
+import type { ReactNode } from "react";
+import { create } from "react-test-renderer";
+import type { ReactTestRenderer, ReactTestRendererJSON } from "react-test-renderer";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vite-plus/test";
+
+// Base UI owns browser portals and focus management; use host elements in the
+// non-DOM renderer while exercising the real prompt state and user-facing copy.
+vi.mock("@base-ui/react/dialog", () => ({
+  Dialog: {
+    createHandle: () => ({}),
+    Root: ({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) => children,
+    Portal: ({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) => children,
+    Backdrop: "div",
+    Viewport: "div",
+    Popup: "section",
+    Title: "h2",
+    Description: "p",
+  },
+}));
+
+import { SshPasswordPromptDialog } from "./SshPasswordPromptDialog";
+
+function visibleText(
+  node: ReactTestRendererJSON | ReactTestRendererJSON[] | string | null,
+): string {
+  if (typeof node === "string") return node;
+  if (node === null) return "";
+  return (Array.isArray(node) ? node : (node.children ?? [])).map(visibleText).join("");
+}
+
+describe("SshPasswordPromptDialog verification copy", () => {
+  let renderer: ReactTestRenderer;
+  let receivePrompt: (request: DesktopSshPasswordPromptRequest) => void;
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    vi.setSystemTime(new Date("2026-09-09T00:00:00Z"));
+    vi.stubGlobal("IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT", true);
+    vi.stubGlobal("window", {
+      requestAnimationFrame: () => 0,
+      cancelAnimationFrame: () => undefined,
+      setInterval,
+      clearInterval,
+      desktopBridge: {
+        onSshPasswordPrompt: (listener: typeof receivePrompt) => {
+          receivePrompt = listener;
+          return () => undefined;
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    await act(async () => {
+      renderer = create(<SshPasswordPromptDialog />);
+    });
+  });
+
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await act(async () => renderer.unmount());
+    vi.useRealTimers();
+    vi.unstubAllGlobals();
+  });
+
+  async function openPrompt() {
+    await act(async () => {
+      receivePrompt({
+        requestId: "ssh-verification-test",
+        destination: "devbox",
+        username: "julius",
+        prompt: "Enter the SSH password or verification code for julius@devbox.",
+        expiresAt: "2026-09-09T00:01:00Z",
+      });
+    });
+  }
+
+  it("explains password and verification code authentication without promising keys bypass 2FA", async () => {
+    await openPrompt();
+    const text = visibleText(renderer.toJSON());
+    expect(text).toContain("SSH verification required");
+    expect(text).toContain("Enter the password or verification code required by julius@devbox.");
+    expect(text).toContain(
+      "SSH keys may replace a password, but your server can still require a verification code.",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("describes an expired verification request without calling it a password prompt", async () => {
+    await openPrompt();
+    await act(async () => vi.advanceTimersByTime(60_000));
+    expect(visibleText(renderer.toJSON())).toContain(
+      "This SSH verification prompt expired. Try connecting again.",
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/desktop/SshPasswordPromptDialog.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/desktop/SshPasswordPromptDialog.tsx
index a6ff9d8c4ec6..6f79e4e55378 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/desktop/SshPasswordPromptDialog.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/desktop/SshPasswordPromptDialog.tsx
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ function formatRemainingSeconds(seconds: number): string {
 }
 
 function getPromptErrorMessage(error: unknown): string {
-  const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : "SSH password prompt failed.";
+  const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : "SSH verification prompt failed.";
   return message.includes("expired") || message.includes("no longer pending")
-    ? "This SSH password prompt expired. Try connecting again."
+    ? "This SSH verification prompt expired. Try connecting again."
     : message;
 }
 
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ function ActiveSshPasswordPrompt({
   const remainingLabel =
     remainingSeconds === null ? null : formatRemainingSeconds(remainingSeconds);
   const visibleResponseError = isExpired
-    ? "This SSH password prompt expired. Try connecting again."
+    ? "This SSH verification prompt expired. Try connecting again."
     : responseError;
 
   const respond = async (nextPassword: string | null) => {
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ function ActiveSshPasswordPrompt({
 
     const requestId = request.requestId;
     if (nextPassword !== null && isExpired) {
-      setResponseError("This SSH password prompt expired. Try connecting again.");
+      setResponseError("This SSH verification prompt expired. Try connecting again.");
       return;
     }
 
@@ -158,10 +158,11 @@ function ActiveSshPasswordPrompt({
     >
       <DialogPopup className="max-w-md" showCloseButton={false}>
         <DialogHeader>
-          <DialogTitle>SSH Password Required</DialogTitle>
+          <DialogTitle>SSH verification required</DialogTitle>
           <DialogDescription>
-            T3 needs your SSH password to connect to <code>{target}</code>. The password is passed
-            to the local SSH process for this connection attempt and is not saved by T3 Code.
+            Enter the password or verification code required by <code>{target}</code>. Your response
+            is passed to the local SSH process for this connection attempt and is not saved by T3
+            Code.
           </DialogDescription>
         </DialogHeader>
         <DialogPanel className="space-y-3" scrollFade={false}>
@@ -202,7 +203,8 @@ function ActiveSshPasswordPrompt({
               <p className="text-sm text-destructive">{visibleResponseError}</p>
             ) : (
               <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
-                Use SSH keys to avoid repeated password prompts on new SSH sessions.
+                SSH keys may replace a password, but your server can still require a verification
+                code.
               </p>
             )}
           </form>
diff --git a/packages/ssh/src/tunnel.test.ts b/packages/ssh/src/tunnel.test.ts
index e2536ba92017..25d0a7c16e1c 100644
--- a/packages/ssh/src/tunnel.test.ts
+++ b/packages/ssh/src/tunnel.test.ts
@@ -386,6 +386,51 @@ describe("ssh tunnel scripts", () => {
     }).pipe(Effect.provide(processLayer));
   });
 
+  it.effect("prompts for a password or verification code after SSH authentication fails", () => {
+    const prompts: string[] = [];
+    const spawner = ChildProcessSpawner.make((command) =>
+      Effect.succeed(
+        commandArgs(command).includes("-G")
+          ? makeSuccessfulProcess("")
+          : {
+              ...makeSuccessfulProcess(""),
+              exitCode: Effect.succeed(ChildProcessSpawner.ExitCode(255)),
+              stderr: Stream.make(
+                new TextEncoder().encode("Permission denied (publickey,keyboard-interactive).\n"),
+              ),
+            },
+      ),
+    );
+    const layer = Layer.mergeAll(
+      NodeServices.layer,
+      Layer.succeed(ChildProcessSpawner.ChildProcessSpawner, spawner),
+      Layer.succeed(HttpClient.HttpClient, testHttpClient),
+      Layer.succeed(NetService.NetService, testNetService),
+      Layer.succeed(SshPasswordPrompt, {
+        isAvailable: true,
+        request: (request) =>
+          Effect.sync(() => {
+            prompts.push(request.prompt);
+            return null;
+          }),
+      }),
+      SshEnvironmentManager.layer(),
+    );
+
+    return Effect.gen(function* () {
+      const manager = yield* SshEnvironmentManager;
+      yield* Effect.result(
+        manager.ensureEnvironment({
+          alias: "devbox",
+          hostname: "devbox.example.com",
+          username: "julius",
+          port: 2222,
+        }),
+      );
+      assert.deepEqual(prompts, ["Enter the SSH password or verification code for julius@devbox."]);
+    }).pipe(Effect.provide(layer), Effect.scoped);
+  });
+
   it.effect.each(["successful stop", "failed stop"] as const)(
     "closes the tunnel scope and starts fresh after a %s",
     (mode) => {
diff --git a/packages/ssh/src/tunnel.ts b/packages/ssh/src/tunnel.ts
index 9cb6b25e4121..021cf78f8206 100644
--- a/packages/ssh/src/tunnel.ts
+++ b/packages/ssh/src/tunnel.ts
@@ -1239,7 +1239,7 @@ const makeSshEnvironmentManager = Effect.fn("ssh/tunnel.SshEnvironmentManager.ma
       attempt,
       destination: target.alias.trim() || target.hostname.trim(),
       username: target.username,
-      prompt: `Enter the SSH password for ${hostSpec}.`,
+      prompt: `Enter the SSH password or verification code for ${hostSpec}.`,
     });
     if (password === null) {
       yield* Effect.logWarning("ssh.auth.passwordPrompt.cancelled", {